NEW ORLEANS, La. (WGNO)- Smoke detectors save lives every year. Kidde is gifting the Louisiana State Fire Marshal with 300 alarms. You might be wondering why so many.
It’s for an operation: Operation Save a Life.
It’s the state wide initiative to make sure every resident is safe in their own homes and is protected with a working detector.
“Let me tell you something, we know the value of smoke alarms. We know that without a smoke alarm that you have less than 60 seconds to safely get up and walk out of your home in a home fire,” shared Chief Butch Browning, State Fire Marshal.
Starting in 2010, firefighters set out to install smoke alarms in residents homes for free. With the goal of protecting every community in the state, Operation Save a Life is hitting the road and coming to a house near you.
In the state of Louisiana about 60 people die every year from a house fire or carbon monoxide poisoning. All it takes is just a few seconds to check your detectors, find the test, press the button, wait for a couple of seconds and if it beep, you’ll know that the battery is still good.
“We have 30 documented cases over the years that state fire marshal alarms that were installed by a local fire fighters that alerted the occupants to something very minor in their homes, like a pot left on the stove,” said Chief Browning.
If you have an alarm already, have you checked the chirp lately? Fire experts say, it’s just as important to have a working carbon monoxide alarm too.
“On average everyday, one person dies in the U.S. from Carbon monoxide poison and on average 50,000 go to the E.R. And we think that number is under reported because Carbon monoxide poisoning feels like the flu,” explained Sharon Cooksey, Kidde Fire Expert.
You can get a smoke alarm by calling your local fire department or district.
Another safety tip that fire officials have is, create an escape plan from your house that includes two ways escape every room that can make a difference between life or death.
On top of the generous donation from Kidde, Chief Browning announced they are going to use a Federal Grant of $55,000 to purchase 5,000 more smoke detectors to add to their stash.
